Closure retainer



Patented Nov. 7, 1933 1,934,334

UNITED, STATES PATENT orrlgcs Applicationulune 1, 1931. Serial No. 541,405 7 '6 Claims. (01. 220- 24) This invention relates to closure retainers. and of the margin of the filling opening shown in i more particularly to devices of this type which plan, are adapted to be applied to removableclosures Figure 3 isa perspective view of the closure and the receptacles withwhich they are assocap clip employed in the device illustrated in ciated to prevent the complete separation there- Figures 1 and 2 and I of and the possible consequent loss of such i Figures 4 and 5 are views in plan and'side closures. elevation respectively of another form of closure Although the device forming the subject of retaining clip. I the present invention may obviously beapplied In Figure 1 of the drawing, thenumeral 19 to any type of receptacle closure, such as that designates generallyametal receptacle'oritank,

used in connection with tanks, cans, jars, autosuch as for example the, fuel tankjof an automobile radiators, or the like, it will be described mobile. The tank 10 isprovided with afilling herein with reference to its exemplary applicaopening 11 around the margin of which is protion to an automobile fuel tank closure or cap. vided the raised neck portion 12 which is pref- 15 Very frequently, after such tanks arefilled, the erably formed of sheet metal of the same' nature replacement of the cap is carelessly omitted and as that of which thetank 10 is constructed and loss of the cap and some of the contents of the -is provided with, a lower outwardly extending tank often results, sothat it will be readily perflange 13 which may be rigidly secured to the ceived that these particular conditions provide tank in any suitableinz'tn'ner as by welding; braz- 20 a special field of usefulness for my invention. ing, or the like.

Therefore, the principal object of the inven- The closure of cap which is, adaptedto be tion is to provide novel retaining means which -,applied to thetank opening is designated by the may be readily applied toa receptacle and (310- numeral 15 ahd' is provided with the downwardly sure of this general type without alteration of extending flange or, skirt 16, which is ada pted 25 either the receptacle or the closure; and, more to s urround the neck 12. The body portion ofthe '00 opening of the tank.

particularly, to provide meansof this character cap 15 is provided on its .undersi'denear its marwhich is adapted to be associated with a common; .gin with a suitable annular gasket 11 which is form of locking device found in such closures padaptedto contact with the inwardly directed for securing them in position to cover the filling flange 18 provided around the upper portion of v the neck 12, in order to effeotfaisubstantially In its preferred embodiment, the invention fluid-tight seal when the cap 15 is a'pplied'. contemplates the provision of two resilient me Thecentral part oftheundersidefof the cap tallic members, one adapted to be removably I isprovided with a raised ,portion 20 through connected with the closure locking elementv and iwhich passs a. diametrically disposedLslotY21.

the other adapted to be similarly associated with This slot 21 is adapted toreceive the lockii fbar the receptacle, and a flexible freely running ele- 22 which is generally formed of a stripfof relament adapted to connect said members. tively heavy resilient sheet metal'; The locking A further object of the invention is to provide. bar 22 is provided with radially outwardly and novel means by which the flexible connecting downwardly projecting ends,23 which, when the l0 element may be secured to the members which closure cap is applied, enter the diametrically are associated with the receptacle and the closure Opposite disposed slots 19" provided in' the flange cap. p I 18, one of which is shown in Figure 2.1 The inner Other objects and features of novelty will be margin of the flange 18 is ,provided fwith :the apparent from the following specification when down-turned beveledcam portion'g25p'the lowest 45 read in connection with the accompanying drawpart of which is disposedadjacentthe slot 19 ing in which certain embodiments of my invenand the highest portionpreferably about a quartion are illustrated by way of example. a a ter turn away from slot 19. The ,closure cap 15 In the drawing: s adap d t be pp dte the neck 12 withlthe Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectionalview of ends 23of thelocking bar 22inposition to enter 50 a portion of a receptacle and a closure cap disthe slot 19; then the cap is rotated through a posed over the opening thereof, showing the; quarter turn or until thelockingbar ends 23 manner of applyingmy improved retaining de- 'mOVe a o p r s v y,de p ni cam i portion, 25, so that the, cap is firmlyplarnlped Figure 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view; uponthe. neck 12 of the tank opening :11, in taken .on line 2-2 of Figurehwith a portion, thewell-known manner; v

trical'or plumbing devices. This particular con- The particular embodiment of my improved closure retaining device illustrated in the drawings is seen to comprise essentially a generally U-shaped clip 30, a resilient expansible band 31, and a flexible connecting element 32. The member 31 is preferably formed of a strip of resilient sheet metal which is adapted to be wound into a circular form and contracted so as to be capable of insertion within the opening provided by the inner margins of the flange 18, and it is then permitted to expand or spring outwardly into a parti-annular form shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, so as to frictionally contact with the inner wall of the neck 12 and to be effectively retained beneath the upper flange 18 of the wall 12. A portion of the band or strip 31 near one end is bent inwardly as at 34, and the end 33 is bent outwardly into close contact with the wall of the neck 12 so that it cannot byany chance be pulled through one of the slots 19. The bent portion 34 is perforated as at 35 in such a manner as to form a series of spurs or projections 36 upon one side of the band around said perforation. The opening 35 as thus formed is adapted to provide means for connecting the flexible member 32 to the band 31. This element 32 may be formed of any freely running flexible material but preferably comprises a beaded chain similar to the type widely usedin the construction of pull chains for elecstruction provides a very freely running element which is not liable to tangle or to be caught on any sharp edges or projections during the application and removal of the cap. The opening 35 within the rim or raised serrated edge 36 may be of slightly smaller diameter than that of the beads 3'7 forming the chain 32 so that the terminal bead 37 must be forced or sprung through the opening 35 andmay be retained in position by the projectionsg36, which may, if necessary, bebent downwardly toward the plane of the portion 34, behind the end bead 37.

The clip 30 is likewise formed of resilient sheet metal, is preferably of generally U-shaped con-' struction, and is provided with the outwardly flared end portions 39, each of which is provided with suitable openings 40 for the reception of the projecting ends 23 of the locking bar 22; The application of the clip to the locking bar will .be' readily understood from an inspection of Figure 1 of the drawing. The, clip 30 is merely spread or expanded until the ends 23 may be inserted in the openings 40, and the clip is then permitted to resume its normal contracted position, as shown in Figure 1, wherein it is suspended from the inner portions of the locking bar 22. The intermediate or bight por-' tion of the clip 30 is provided with a perforation 42 which is surrounded by a series of spurs or projections 43, as in the case of the corresponding elements 35 and 36 of the member 31. The otherterminal bead 45 at theopposite end of the chain 32 is adapted to be forced or sprung through the opening 42 and retained by the projecting rim 43. The chain 32 is, of course, of suflicient length to enable the cap 15 to be removed and conveniently disposed upon the tank or suspended from the neck of the tank opening by means of the chain.

An alternative form of closure retaining clip is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing and comprises a resilient wire bent so as to conform generally to the shape of the clip 30 which hasbeen described. This wire clip, designated by the numeral 50, is provided with a coil or convolution 51 centrally of its bight portion, and loops or eyes 52 are formed in the outwardly projecting ends of the clip. The loops 52 are preferably of rectangular shape so as to conform more closely to the outline of the locking bar 22, and the intermediate coil 51 is adapted to be connected in any suitable manner by a chain or other suitable flexible member to a receptacle connected element such as'the member 31 described in connection with the other figures of the drawing.

It will be readily perceived that by means of the present invention there has been provided a novel and simply constructed retaining device for closures which may be easily applied without alteration of the receptacle or the closure cap. It will also be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiments illustrated and described without departing from'the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:- r I 1. A retaining device for removable closures for the openings of hollow receptacles comprising, in combination, an expansible resilient parti-annular band adapted to be detachably disposed within said opening, a resilient clip adapted to be detachably secured to a portion of the underside of said closure, and a flexible member connecting said clip and band.

2. The combination, with a hollow receptacle provided with an opening and a removable closure therefor provided with means for looking it in position to cover said opening, of retaining means for said closure comprising an element adapted to be attached to said receptacle, an element adapted to be attached to said locking means, and a 115 flexible member connecting said elements.

3. The combination, with a hollow receptacle provided with'an opening having a raised marginal portion or a neck around its periphery and a removable closure therefor provided with means for locking it in position to cover said opening, of

retaining means for said closure comprising a resilient expansible parti-annular metallic band adapted to be sprung into position within said neck, an element adapted to be attached to said locking means and a flexible member connecting said element and said band.

4. A retaining device for removable caps adapted to be applied to the filling'openings of hollow receptacles comprising, in combination, a sheet metal element adapted for attachment to said cap, a sheet metal element for attachment to said receptacle, each of said elements provided with a punched opening therein, said punched openings having marginal projections produced by the punching operation surrounding the same, and a beaded chain adapted to connect said elements, the end beads of said chain adapted to be passed through said openings and to be retained by said projections.

5. The combination, with a hollow receptacle provided with a filling opening and a removable closure cap for said opening provided with a diametrically extending locking bar having oppositely projecting ends adapted to engage portions of the margin of said opening to secure said cap in position to close said opening, of retaining means for said cap comprising a generally U-shaped clip, the arms of which are provided with openings adapted to receive the projecting ends of said 150 locking bar, and flexible means for connecting said clip to said receptacle.

6. The combination with a hollow receptaele provided with an opening and a removable cover for said opening, of cover retaining means comprising a resilient metal band adapted to be con- 

